Saban Debunks Rumors; Confirms POWER RANGERS Will Retain Names Of Original Characters

Saban Debunks Rumors; Confirms POWER RANGERS Will Retain Names Of Original Characters

Saban Entertainment has now debunked a rumor from earlier this week by confirming that the new set of Power Rangers will also use the same names as the original heroes from the popular '90s TV series!

News
By RohanPatel - Oct 31, 2015 07:10 AM EST
Filed Under: Power Rangers
Source: Saban Entertainment (via ComicBook)

Jason. Kimberly. Zack. Billy. Trini.

For anyone even remotely familiar with the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers television series, those five names will certainly ring a bell as those were the names of the most popular team of Power Rangers, the original "teenagers with attitudes," who were portrayed by Austin St. John, Thuy Trang, Walter Jones, David Yost, & Amy Jo Johnson. Throughout its many iterations, no subsequent series has ever managed to recapture the mass hysteria caused by the original '90s series and likely never will.

It was long-rumored that Lionsgate's upcoming Power Rangers film reboot would also utilize those same names, however, ever since a recent report suggested the new set of Rangers would be brand new characters with completely different names, there's been quite a bit of confusion amongst fans and critics alike... well, up until now, that is! 

In a tweet sent yesterday afternoon, the official Power Rangers Twitter account more or less revealed the names of the new set of heroes, check it out below:
Our friends over at ComicBook later confirmed the news. 

So, that solves that. The new set of Rangers, who will this time be portrayed by Dacre Montgomery (Betrand The Terrible), Naomi Scott (The Martian), Ludi Lin (Marco Polo), RJ Cyler (Me And Earl And The Dying Girl), & Becky Gomez (Empire), will also use the names made immortal by the original Mighty Morphin team. This also seemingly confirms that the film will be more of a reboot rather than a continuation of the long-running series.

What do you guys think? Sound off with your thoughts below! 

After 10,000 years of imprisonment, the evil sorceress Rita Repulsa and her loyal minions are freed when astronauts on a routine mission in space accidentally open her dumpster prison on the Moon. A team of “five teenagers with attitude” — Jason, Zack, Kimberly, Billy and Trini — receive superpowers beyond their wildest dreams so they can defend the Earth as the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.


Power Rangers will feature:
Director: Dean Israelite
Dacre Montgomery as Jason, the Red Ranger
Naomi Scott as Kimberly, the Pink Ranger
Ludi Lin as Zack, the Black Ranger
RJ Cyler as Billy, the Blue Ranger
Becky Gomez as Trini, the Yellow Ranger

The Power Rangers say it's morphin' time once again January 13, 2017

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KillEmAll
KillEmAll - 10/31/2015, 8:06 AM
Still hoping JDF and other Rangers make a cameo. Maybe Dr. Oliver owns a juice bar now, lmfao.


Still gonna keep my eyes on this project, it can't be as bad as the recent "Legendary War" which was a total crapfest.
Invictor
Invictor - 10/31/2015, 8:06 AM
Far out, I see.
SuperCat
SuperCat - 10/31/2015, 8:09 AM
Power Rangers suck.
Ironbot
Ironbot - 10/31/2015, 8:15 AM
Nice save, for a minute there... They almost had a box office disaster right there.
Matador
Matador - 10/31/2015, 8:27 AM
The Jewish Homie does not like their kind that's why he hates the Power Rangers.
BlackIceJoe
BlackIceJoe - 10/31/2015, 8:39 AM
I personally think this is a bad move and the reason why is because this means they are remaking Power Rangers. Where had it not used the old character names it could be its own thing. That being said who really wants this movie?
BlackPhillip
BlackPhillip - 10/31/2015, 8:45 AM
I've never met a Hispanic with the name Trini Kwan. Maybe she's Filipina.
BATMANx
BATMANx - 10/31/2015, 8:57 AM
Give the rights back to Marvel
DEVWoulf
DEVWoulf - 10/31/2015, 9:00 AM
Trini was originally portrayed by Hispanic actress Audri Dubois in the unaired pilot of MMPR. They rewrote the character for actress Thuy Trang and gave Trini the last name Kwan. So I expect Trini to have an Hispanic last name this time. Seems they were aiming for a multiethnic cast back then but wound up with three white people. They're not messing around in PC Hollywood now.

DEVWoulf
DEVWoulf - 10/31/2015, 9:00 AM
I'm glad they're sticking with the original characters. At-least in terms of nostalgia, they were the only ones I cared about. When Jason, Trini, and Zack left, my interest in the show begin to wane. After the second cast left, I stopped watching. Besides we've been going 90s crazy lately with all these TV show reboots airing or on the way, Jimmy Fallon sketches bringing casts back together, and Nickelodeon airing overnight blocks of classic cartoons, it'd be stupid to not remind people of the original Power Rangers, which was the best and most popular.
MrBurns
MrBurns - 10/31/2015, 9:14 AM
Well, I suppose that's good news. I want this to be better than Transformers, Battleship and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014 version, not the original). But who am I kidding, it's going to be exactly the same.
DarthTano
DarthTano - 10/31/2015, 9:26 AM
Go go Power Rangers, You Mighty Morphin Power Rangers!! Just please don't give them a Rap song that remixed from the original lol I'd lose my f*ckin mind yo!! I was born in '91 so MMPR was my childhood up until Ninja Storm then I gave up. In Space and Lost Galaxy are awesome too and could work as films later down the line.
spidey1994
spidey1994 - 10/31/2015, 10:20 AM
Screw you guys, I'm still excited for this!
GetsugaTensho22
GetsugaTensho22 - 10/31/2015, 10:32 AM
It's generally all good, but a Hispanic girl named Trini Kwan?

That's....odd. Unless they rename her Trinity or something.
Shanksman
Shanksman - 10/31/2015, 10:47 AM
People think using the name of the original will have effect on the box office? Funny shit.
Pathogen
Pathogen - 10/31/2015, 10:52 AM
What will the tone/style be? Will it be as horrendously stupid as the TV show? I'm assuming so, because purists would probably want it that way, and their market would be for 5-10 year olds no?
SpiderFraud
SpiderFraud - 10/31/2015, 11:23 AM
I will be seeing this just off of nostalgia, unless it ends up being too cheesy like the show. If they can hit the tone that Marvel does, it could be something special for fans and newcomers.

Hitting the right demographic is going to be tricky, if they want this to be a hit. I doubt they will bring in the 80's crowd because they feel like they are above this brand (no matter if it the movie is good). I guess they have their own bad kid shows to worry about.
DallasAvenger
DallasAvenger - 10/31/2015, 11:24 AM
This movie is all over the place, one minute it has me super excited for it, the next it has me filled with dread. It better not suck.
Chaos200
Chaos200 - 10/31/2015, 12:01 PM
I don't see how this is gonna fill nostalgia glasses when the Rangers looks nothing like their original counterparts?
What's the point in keeping the names and changing the races?

That's like if they made an avengers film and tony stark was black, falcon was Asian, cap was Hispanic and Bruce banner was a woman, and ya'll wonder why I'm not excited about that?

Surely that speaks for itself.
submitorperish
submitorperish - 10/31/2015, 12:09 PM
@Chaos200 get over it. Marvel does it all the time. I guess you didnt hear Tilda Swinton is playing the ancient one in DR. Strange. The ancient one is an old Asian man. Tilda Swinton is a skinny white woman.
SuperCat
SuperCat - 10/31/2015, 12:13 PM
LOL! @matador

I borrowed my username from that reggae artist!
submitorperish
submitorperish - 10/31/2015, 12:17 PM
Don Dadda.
Spock0Clock
Spock0Clock - 10/31/2015, 2:57 PM
Chaos200
Chaos200 - 10/31/2015, 3:08 PM
@submitorperish
Did you read what I said? Changing the race of a minor character who most people don't even know if it's a hero or villain is not the same as changing tony Stark, spider-man or captain Americas race. What you just described is more like changing zordon to a black man or a woman or Alpha to a human or a female robot which is minor and no one would care about.

People would be pissed if Tony Stark didn't have his goatee let alone changed his entire race, don't be play stupid with that ridiculous comparison.
Batmanoncrack
Batmanoncrack - 10/31/2015, 3:22 PM
They should get Cranston to be a villain or a cameo/VoiceOver of some kind at least would pay respect to the original program and could bring in a few more ticket sales, there missing a trick here
submitorperish
submitorperish - 10/31/2015, 3:34 PM
@Chaos200 LOL like I said get over it. Its done all the time in Marvel, DC and other movies and tv shows. Nick Fury was white in the comics wasn't he ? Nick Fury from the movies is nothing like his comic counterpart at all except for him being director of SHIELD. Turned out pretty good didn't it?

Who cares if the characters aren't the same color. Its a reimagining of an old series. The personalities that people like about those characters can still be there.

TheNameIsBetty
TheNameIsBetty - 10/31/2015, 3:59 PM
I would like to know....is this a total reboot, or is this a soft reboot with Star Trek-esque time travel stuff?

If this is in the same continuity, I have some problems with them having the exact same names....
Chaos200
Chaos200 - 10/31/2015, 4:41 PM
@submitorperish nick fury was black in the ultimate comics and again isn't a main character/hero he's more like a zordon type who gives orders and no one cares about. When they turn Tony stark or Peter Parker black come to me again then I'll agree with you that marvel does it all the time. I have no problem with turning minor characters around but main established ones you might as well reboot the entire thing. Don't keep nothing except the names.

Next Clark Kent will be black see how many people care about that.
Matador
Matador - 10/31/2015, 5:23 PM
@SuperCat - LMAO for real I just Googled your username to see what I could find to counter your comment and was going to post a kitty with a cape. Then kept scrolling and found that pic. Freaking hilarious!
loki668
loki668 - 10/31/2015, 8:19 PM


McClane89
McClane89 - 11/1/2015, 7:08 AM
CyberA
CyberA - 11/1/2015, 2:05 PM

I MIGHT give this film a chance, since I do remember the original Power Rangers movie and series - LOVED them both as a kid - So, maybe this'll bring back some fond memories, I mean who knows right?... *shrug*/P :)
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